ABSTRACT
This chapter examines electroless nickel (EN)-based multilayer production methodologies along with the effect on their properties derived from the plating approach, before and after annealing. Multilayered coatings are characterized by the combination of several layers into the same coating structure. Multilayer coating architecture has been extensively investigated by sputtering and other physical vapor deposition techniques. The design of multilayered coatings greatly depends on the performance requirements of the final application of the coated component. Once the design of the multilayered coatings has been completed, a proper production strategy needs to be followed depending on the nature of the layers involved in the multilayered coating. There are two main plating approaches to produce EN-based multilayers, namely dual/multiple bath and single bath procedures. Mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and magnetic properties of the coatings can be tuned when the coatings are obtained by the multilayer approach.
